A Retelling
by Lecterville
Summary: F/Shepard helps Aria on her quest to take back Omega, but will their partnership expand into something more? And if so, how will that effect the rest of the happenings in Mass Effect 3?
1. Chapter 1

**The story takes place at the beginning of ME3, soon after Shepard has had the meeting with the diplomats, and been to rescue 'Eve'. I am usually a hardcore Femshep/Liara fan, but after playing the omega dlc I couldn't help but wonder what this pairing would be like. So to prevent some kind of inner conflict I am going to keep Liara out of this story as much as I can, so we will say that she has continued to stay on the shadowbrokers ship, and her and femshep have remained friends, thus leaving me to not feel guilty about the possible new upcoming romance. **

**This first chapter is a lot of dialogue and pretty similar to the dlc, just setting up the story really.**

**Also, I would like to thank Sirrocco and her story 'Breathless', her words gave me the inspiritation to try my hand at writing again**

_From: Aria T'Loak_

_Subject: It's Time_

_Shepard, I'm ready to discuss that pet project I mentioned when we spoke in Purgatory. Come to Dock 42 on the Citadel. A batarian named Bray will be waiting_.

Shepard had received a rather enigmatic email from Aria earlier that day, which she took to meaning that now was the time to take back Omega. There was something about the self-entitled Queen of Omega that the commander found extremely enticing. Although she exuded power and importance, Shepard sensed that there was more to her Queen Bitch facade than she let on. Never one to miss an opportunity to banter with the obviously gorgeous Asari, the Commander made her way to the meeting point on the Citadel as soon as she was sure that Eve was no longer in a critical condition.

Once reaching Dock 42, it didn't take long to spot the batarian waiting for her. He stood tall, arms crossed with his eyes on the only entrance to the corridor; alert and ready for trouble. "Are you Bray?" it couldn't hurt to ask, with the amount of refugees now on the citadel, he could have been anyone. "Ah the great commander Shepard, and me without my autograph book". _Funny_. "Save it." She snapped back. The batarian at least had the decency to wipe the smirk off of his face. Sighing she continued, "Just take me to Aria". They made their way through the docking floor and stopped near the lift, but Bray made no move to get into it. "I am guessing this means we won't be going to Purgatory then…so where is she?" Bray just leant back against the railing behind him, once again crossing his arms with a look on his face that just screamed, 'you're going to love this'. That was when she heard the tell-tale noise of a skycar, which rose from what seemed like nowhere. Stopping in front of her the door opened to reveal Aria sat in the back seat who acknowledged her with a simple "Shepard". Raising her eyebrow at Bray he merely nodded at her to get in. The absurdness of the situation caused the corner of her lip to pull up in an almost smile as she responded "Aria". As the door of the skycar closed behind her, she took a moment to regard the Asari; "how very dramatic".

The silence between the two was comfortable, but they couldn't keep flying around in circles. Leaning back in her seat, glancing casually at the intimidating presence next to her; "so what's the plan?" Continuing to take in her form, Shepard lets her eyes linger over Arias' somewhat regal features. There was no denying that she was beautiful.

"Kick them out." With a brief half smirk at feeling the Commander's eyes on her, Aria continued "I've amassed a fleet of merc ships we're going to punch through enemy lines and invade. Once we're on omega it's a ground war, that's why I want you". Her voice sultry as she turned to stare directly into the Commander's eyes, "I only accept the best".

Shepard knew the Asari was teasing her, but she couldn't help the warmth that spread to her cheeks at the compliment. She had always found Aria attractive, who didn't? There was something about her no nonsense attitude and unavailability that Shepard was drawn to, not that it was something she could act on in reality, there were too many reasons for them not to be together. Aria didn't seem the type that would be willing to commit to one person, never mind help Shepard in her daily heroics, plus she was a ruthless criminal; but that didn't stop Shepard's all too vivid imagination. The relationship between the two consisted of not so mild flirtation coupled with the need to always outdo the other in their brief conversations. But in that moment, being so close to Aria in the confinement of the skycar, Shepard couldn't bring herself to bite back with one of her usual witty retorts. Instead she remained quiet as Aria continued to brief her on the mission, only raising a curious brow at the request that she not bring any of her teammates.

Aria smiled to herself at the sight of Shepard's subtle blushing, but made no comment. She had always found the commander intriguing, and definitely wouldn't say no if she offered herself to her. It was the words left unsaid during their teasing that increased the ever growing tension between the two, but this almost timid silence from Shepard was not something Aria was used to and she couldn't help but add to Shepard's obvious discomfort; "Let's just say, I want you all to myself".

It took great deal of effort for the commander to calm her hormones enough so that her cheeks wouldn't match her deep red hair, she was the great Shepard, fighter of Reapers, and she wouldn't be bested so easily by her temporary partner. "You didn't have to go through this whole charade just to get me on my own Aria", she winked before going back to business; "So what's the Intel on the occupation? What can you tell me about this Petrovsky guy?" Aria's eyes darkened in anger, clenching a fist she answered plainly "He's the illusive man's top military strategist and best kept secret, but all you really need to know is that he is a merciless bastard." Shepard couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips, "Bastard, got it. Anything else you think I should know?" Turning to face Shepard, the Asari's expression serious; "I can tell you this. Petrovsky's invasion was precise and ruthless; he'll stop at nothing to win." Meeting her gaze Shepard adds smoothly with an almost seductive smile "Well I guess he's about to meet his match then." With a predatory grin Aria averts her eyes down to Shepard's lips then back "That kind of talk goes a long way with me." The two hold the stare for a for what seems like an eternity, silently regarding each other, waiting to see who will make the next move; when they are jolted out of their moment by the skycar coming to an abrupt halt. The door opens signalling that it was time for her to leave. Armed with the co-ordinates to Aria's fleet in her omni-tool Shepard takes a final look at the Asari before leaving the vehicle. Nodding her goodbye to Bray, she hears him say to himself "Can't wait to see what all the fuss is about."


	2. Chapter 2

Returning to the Normandy, Shepard makes her way down to the armory to prepare for her mission with Aria. "EDI, I am going to be gone for a day or two, please let the crew know that they may have the next 48 hours as shore leave; they'll need whatever time they can get to keep in touch with their families, before this war goes and throws a spanner in the works". After clipping on her armor, she double checks the mods on her rifle before proceeding toward the shuttle and Steve Cortez.

Shepard can't help but grin at the look of horror on his face when she lets him know she will be borrowing his pride and joy for an undetermined amount of time, "Don't worry Cortez, I will bring her back in one piece". Unfortunately this doesn't seem to console the Pilot as he merely scoffs, "Whatever you say Commander, but I have heard stories about you and the old Normandy's Mako". Rolling her eyes she turns towards the shuttle, "All lies Cortez, all lies." Before leaving the Normandy She adds as an afterthought, "Oh and EDI, makes sure someone feeds my fish".

As she continues on her way to the co-ordinates given to her by Bray, Shepard takes the time to process what she is about to do. Just the idea of being in such close proximity with the rightful ruler of Omega filled the Commander with anticipation. An opportunity to witness the Asari in an environment other than that of a club, away from the couch that served as her throne, was not an opportunity to be missed. As well as this Shepard couldn't help but look forward to seeing Aria in action, with her many years of experience as well as the sheer power and presence she radiated; she was sure it would be a sight to behold.

* * *

Aria could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins; it was finally time to take back what was rightfully hers. She had received word from one of her commandos that Shepard was boarding the command ship; and she couldn't help but feel a rise in her excitement at hearing those words. She knew she would need the Commanders help when it came down to the ground war, not necessarily in combat; Aria was more than capable in that department. But the other woman had certain tactical skills that would most definitely prove useful; her own usual walk in biotics blazing may not quite do the job today, and everything had to go as planned. Shepard's company on this mission was a definite bonus. Aria enjoyed the banter between the two, the shameless flirting was fun and the Commander's body was one she could definitely appreciate, pity about all that bulky armor though. Plus, the newest addition of the soft blush that rose to Shepard's cheeks during their last conversation was very promising indeed. It proved that her ministrations were getting beneath the woman's skin.

At hearing the Commanders voice from the other side of the door, Aria turns away from the console to regard Shepard as she makes her way towards her; she lets her eyes travel down the commander's form in silent appreciation. "The guest of honour has arrived, we can finally start". Cocking her hip to the side accentuating her curves brilliantly, she crosses her arms and waits for Shepard to make her move.

* * *

Feeling Aria's eyes on her, Shepard chooses instead to ignore the blush threatening to creep up to her face and instead joins her at the console, standing slightly too close to the Asari, yet paying no attention to her appreciative gaze. "If this Cerberus Cruiser is anything to go by, I imagine you're planning on infiltrating the enemy's fleet?" she asks folding her arms under her breasts accentuating them as much as one possibly can whilst wearing armor. Smirking she notices Aria's gaze shift downwards for a split second before she answers, "Exactly, we position ourselves to strike a crippling blow, then my forces join the fun." Laughing inwardly at how ridiculous Cerberus were going to feel after this simple deception she simply answers, "Works for me". Turning to meet Shepard's gaze full on Aria replies, "If you're as accommodating the rest of the way, we will get along very well," her voice heavy with implication.

Turning on her heel, she moves toward Bray giving him his order, her focus already back to the task at hand. "Bray move through the Relay. Signal the fleet to wait. They only follow on my command." As the cruiser moves through the Relay, Aria takes her place at the console, her posture full of confidence; the epitome of a leader. Suddenly a message is sent through to their ship, asking for identification. _Well so much for their perfect plan_ thinks Shepard, but as she turns she is met with a rather smug looking Aria as Bray plays a message recorded by the ships previous Captain. Not sure if she wants to know the answer yet she still asks; "How did you get him to say that?" Aria's grin widens as she retorts "The hard way".

Moving back to Bray, Aria watches the ship progress towards Omega, and the distance between them and Cerberus lessen, "That's it, nice and slow." Her grip on Bray's chair tightens in an attempt to reign in her eagerness to start firing at the Cerberus ship. Briefly distracted by Shepard's reminder to be patient, she rolls her eyes before forcefully commanding "Fire!"

As Aria instructs the rest of her fleet through, Shepard almost comments on the Pirate Queens impatience, but she can't bring herself to distract her from this moment that she has been waiting for. _Plus, it worked didn't it?_ Instead Shepard found herself watching Aria she gave her orders, the Asari's eyes burning with adrenaline' she couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, and how her dominance excited Shepard in ways that shouldn't be expressed aloud. Brought out of her reverie by Brays gruff voice she notes that they are being hailed by the general himself and makes her way to Aria's side. "This should be interesting" Aria comments whilst bumping shoulders with the Commander and winking, the progress made by her fleet lightening her mood remarkably.

Then up behind the console pops a holo of General Petrovsky, Aria barely seems to be listening as he prattles on about how they should turn back now, they will never make it, blah blah, when finally met with a pause she lazily replies "you're barking up the wrong tree General." Straightening up she turns to regard Shepard, "but maybe you can convince my _partner_ here". The Commander is briefly stunned by the use of the word, the great 'Queen of Omega' admitting to having a partner, wasn't something you heard often, and even though she knew it was most likely said to get a rise out of the general, she couldn't help but be flattered. However the General doesn't seem concerned, and instead coolly responds "Ah Commander Shepard, I have heard great things about you", unwilling to take the compliment her answer is blunt "I doubt the Illusive Man thinks very highly of me". Aria chuckles softly next to her and Shepard's heart flutter momentarily at the sound. Neither pays much attention to Petrovsky's warnings but her attention soon peaks as she hears about the General's upgrades to Omega's defence system. _Cannons,_ _that doesn't sound too good. _"He sounds pretty confident Aria", her face not giving anything away, the Asari just agrees.

Sighing, Aria cuts off the transmission, "well that went well". She looks up and noticed Shepard regarding her silently, concern etched upon her face. Straightening her shoulders she turns to Bray "Set pre-set course, we're ramming the station, everyone brace for impact". Chancing a look at Shepard she smirks when she sees the shock on the woman's face. "Don't worry yourself Shepard; I've equipped the cruiser with disruptors so we can take out Omega's kinetic barriers on impact." Smirking once again her eyes connect with Shepard's, "we'll probably survive the crash."

As the cruiser reaches the boundaries of Omega, the cannons start to fire. The ship jolts with the contact and Aria stumbles only to find herself in the arms of Shepard who looks down at her with a crooked smile. A few moments pass before Shepard steps away, her Commander mind-set back in place, "we need to sound the evac Aria, we won't do Omega any good if we are blown to smithereens." The alarms sound and everyone rushes to make their way to a capsule, explosions sound from all around the head of the cruiser, a console explodes killing a salarian instantly. Sensing Aria's unwillingness to retreat, Shepard grabs her hand dragging her through the corridors, and into an awaiting escape pod. They belt up just in time as the pod is released and sent tumbling down towards Omega.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in the last few tense minutes Aria spoke, "guess that asshole really did upgrade Omega's outer defences". Her lip curling into a half smile at the Asari's words, Shepard agrees, "So it would seem". The escape pod shook ferociously as it made its way towards Omega at a great speed; the few Asari that made it into the pod with them could be heard murmuring under their breaths, most likely attempting to bribe the Goddess to deliver them to the station in one piece. After what seemed like seconds the pod landed with a phenomenal thud and everything went black. Shepard awoke a few moments later, the overhead light of the pod flickering on and off, momentarily revealing the aftermath of the capsules landing. With another flicker of light, Shepard sees Aria slowly unclip herself from her safety restraints, and she is quick to do the same. Once standing she looks over to the Asari, quirking an eyebrow, as if asking if she were alright. Upon receiving a nod in confirmation, Shepard begins to look for other survivors, only stopping when Aria lays a hand on her shoulder. Turning to ask what the problem was her words are cut short as a purple finger is put to her lips. The pair stood in silence, listening to the noises coming from outside their pod. "Cerberus" she mouths towards her partner. Nodding Aria glows with biotic energy and blasts the door off of the escape pod, directly into the oncoming troops. Leaping out of the opening Shepard punches a nearby Cerberus engineer whilst flinging a warp at a trooper too far away to reach with the butt of her rifle. In a move to regard the reinforcements Shepard turns in time to see the soldiers engulfed in a purple explosion, that once dispersed, leaves no survivors. She then felt her jaw drop forming a perfect O. _Damnnn Aria was powerful. _Casually stepping from the pod, Aria leaves an impressed looking Shepard standing at the mouth of the capsule, using a finger to close the commander's jaw as she walks past her.

The seductive sway of Aria's hips hold her captive for a moment before she can shake herself out of her appreciative trance; jogging to catch up with Aria she risks a quick glance to her ass just before meeting her side. "Well if that was anything to go by this mission is going to be hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be" she remarks jokingly, offering Aria a lopsided grin. Aria can't help the small chuckle that escapes her lips for the second time in their short time together, the Commanders almost youthful excitement for explosions and killing bad guys was contagious. "We need to hit the Defence System Station, disable those damn cannons before they rip a hole in my fleet" they continued to make their way to the door ahead, "I do hope the other escape pods made it," Aria muses.

As they open the door to the next room, they are met with a large group of Cerberus, and a turret. As the bullets begin to fly, Shepard ducks into a crouch behind some crates, pulling Aria down with her by the straps around her torso, the commander's hand subconsciously resting on the smooth skin of Aria's lower back as she leans out from cover to take a quick headshot to the nearest Cerberus trooper.

At feeling the Commanders hand on the bare patch of skin, Aria felt her skin warm at the touch and couldn't help but wonder what those hands would feel like elsewhere. Continuing on as if nothing had happened, not willing to lose the soft touch just yet, Aria yells over the deafening sound of gunfire, "This is what I brought you for, ground assault. In combat what you say goes". Shepard turned back towards her, an eyebrow raise and face flushed with the adrenaline of battle, Aria was temporarily stunned by the feelings that overwhelmed her." And that's coming from the mighty Queen of Omega? I'll believe that when I see it" Grinning Shepard once again peers out from the safety of the crate and throws a singularity in the middle of a group of troopers, leaving them floating helpless in the field. Nudging the dazed Asari with her elbow, she only half jokes, "Aria, I know you are just as powerful as you look now, you can't just sit there and let me do all the work". Aria just shakes her head and lets off her immensely potent flare allowing her and Shepard to quickly pick off the final soldiers who weren't within the blast radius. Awe still written across her face Shepard simply says "You really have to teach me that."

* * *

As they continued through the streets of Omega they were met with more and more resistance, and the pair were beginning to grow restless. Their banter had died down as they fought their way through the never ending wall of Cerberus troops. Shepard couldn't help but notice how well they worked together, both covering each other's backs and moving in smooth harmony. She was moved by how gracefully the Asari flowed in battle, she was definitely in her element; but she could sense Aria's concern. They could hear Aria's fleet grow desperate and the need to turn off the outer defence cannons grew with each passing moment. It was then that Aria's eye lit up with excitement, "There! The controls will be on the other side of that door." Shepard could only watch as Aria recklessly threw herself out of cover and made a charge towards the door, flinging minor troopers out of her way with her biotics. "Aria!"

_That damn woman will be the death of me. _Cursing under her breath Shepard quickly vaults over the small wall they had been using as cover and sprints after her determined partner. Snarling slightly as she sees a Nemesis lining up a shot in the direction of Aria, she quickly sends a concussive shot into her chest. Just ahead of her she spots Aria cursing at the door while a mechanical voice repeatedly informs her that access is denied. Coming to a halt next to the purple skinned Asari, Shepard fights back a chuckle at the wrinkle that has formed above the bridge of her nose in her frustration. "Don't you dare do that again Aria, it was reckless and you could have gotten yourself killed."

At hearing the other woman's voice Aria turns to take in her folded arms and stern expression. Smirking at Shepard's obvious distress at her well-being she raises an eyebrow marking "Worried Shepard?" However she can't help but think that the Commander's concern is endearing, _the Queen of Omega doesn't think people are cute. Get a grip. S_till, the thought continued to linger in the back of her mind. Shepard's cheeks darken at the implication, and instead of responding she busies herself with examining the door in front of them. "We need to re-pressurize the room ahead before we can get through, then we will be able to disarm the cannons" Shepard nods at the Asari's words, before moving off to hack the controls to the left. "Incoming Shepard!" Aria glows with biotic energy sending the inbound Cerberus flying, "Cerberus aren't going to let us go without a fight it seems, you carry on with the door, I'll take care of this lot myself".

Turning briefly from the console to see Aria break cover, she charges with a surge of biotic force yelling "I'm back fuckers!" Shepard smiles to herself, _well at least she is having fun. _Her concentration back on the door, it wouldn't take much longer for the next room to reach the right pressure. "Ready on my end Aria!" Shepard jumps when she feels a breath on her neck, spinning quickly she finds herself face to face with the grinning Asari. "What took you so long Shepard?" Shepard's breath hitches in her throat upon realizing just how close their bodies were to each other.

Aria had only planned on teasing the Commander, but she hadn't taken into account just how much it would affect her seeing Shepard's lips within centimeters of her own. All thoughts of the takeover, Cerberus and the General left her mind, all she could hear was the laboured breathing of the woman in front of her; all she could see was the soft lips so close to hers. It had been centuries since she had felt a pull like this to another, she hadn't planned on ever feeling this way again. Shepard lent in closer to her, putting a hand on the bare skin of Aria's side, their lips almost brushing; eyes beginning to close in anticipation, when Aria felt a sudden loss of warmth. Opening her eyes she sees Shepard looking past her, a cheeky grin upon her face, "Wow Aria, you really did obliterate them. You truly are impressive." _So she wanted to play it this way did she? _Aria hadn't missed the husky undertones to Shepard's voice, she knew she wasn't unaffected by their brief encounter. "Oh, I am sure you will have the opportunity to find out just how impressive I really am." The Commander's face burned with an intense blush, Aria was beginning to love that trait. She could feel the fingers on her side softly brush the exposed skin, and then they were gone. Shepard was at the door in no time, "let's go get Omega back."


	4. Chapter 4

Once through the door Aria made straight for the console, "Jarral, defences are down, signal the surviving ships to converge at the rendezvous point." Shepard simply watched as Aria dealt with the cannons and arranged for her fleet to land. She had almost slipped up earlier, having the striking Asari so close to her had made it hard to think logically. All she knew was that she wanted Aria's lips on hers, and in that moment she had almost gone for it. But they had a mission to attend to, the whole of Omega was in war around them, now was not the time nor place, if there even was such a time when kissing the Queen of Omega was to be deemed appropriate.

"Bray, status" the Pirate Queen continued. Shepard could see the hint of worry in her eyes as she is told that only six pods made it safely to Omega. Although Aria gave the impression of being cold; the Commander couldn't help but think that underneath her exterior was a fiercely passionate woman. It showed in her efforts to get back her throne, in the way she commanded, and sometimes even briefly when she looked into Shepard's eyes. It was a relief to hear that the fleet was already coming in to land; their plan was finally moving forward. "What exactly is this rendezvous point?" "That's where we're headed, it's a bunker I established on D deck for my..." pausing slightly, lip curling slightly in the corner, she continues; "more sensitive operations." Shepard raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment. "It's utterly impenetrable, with its own secret hangar and dock, independent power, life support, munitions – you'll see" Aria boasted, whilst Shepard smiled to herself at the Asari's self-assured attitude. It was then that she heard the distinct noise of a lens zooming into focus. Quickly drawing her pistol she fires one shot into the security camera above them, effectively destroying it.

Her body quickly twisting in the direction of Shepard at the gunshot, Aria sees the smug looking woman staring down at the remains of a camera. "Nice shot Shepard. It would have been nice if you had seen that a little earlier though." Rolling her eyes at the other woman's taunting she replies, "There's a pretty good chance the General now knows where we are going". Aria just sighs and shakes her head as if disappointed "No time for sight-seeing then", with a wicked grin in Shepard's direction, she continues forward. "Bray stay sharp you might get visitors." She can't supress a smile in Aria's direction as they hear "Terrific" murmured gruffly into their ear pieces.

Once in the lift, they hear a Cerberus broadcast alerting the troops of a failure in the defence systems. **The defence systems have been compromised. All Cerberus personnel report to their stations.** Aria sneers, "We're causing a stir, good." As they exit the elevator they are met with more Cerberus troops, "I have a feeling this is going to get old very fast" sighs Shepard as she sends carnage shot in the direction of a Centurion, causing him to shriek as he is engulfed in flames. "Are you joking? It feels good to let loose" The Asari counters as she whips past Shepard, biotic glowing, enthusiasm written across her face; quickly decimating the soldiers.

Leaving the room behind them, they finally step out into the open air of Omega. Aria takes a deep breath, then exhales, "Ah the omega sky line, _now_ I feel like I am back." An almost sentimental smile upon her face, she turns to look at Shepard who is smiling back at her, a tender look in her eye. Taking a small step towards the soldier before her, their moment is interrupted when Aria spots something past Shepard's head, glowing in the background; "Strange, what are those things in the distance?" Turning to see what has captured the attention of the woman before her, she takes in the long red walls blocking off a large section of Omega. Frowning she answers, "Some kind of force field by the looks of it". "Oh that's not good" Aria counters. They continue around the corner only to be met by a small group of Cerberus guardians that have just finished murdering a handful of Aria's men. They are easily taken care of when Shepard uses a pull to disarm them of their shields so Aria can blast them away with her astounding power. Before they move on, a struggling trooper attempting to crawl to safety captures Aria's gaze. She saunters up to him and places a heeled boot onto his back before she says in a quiet voice that was dripping with threat; "Tell your Boss I'm coming for him" she then walks on, leaving the bleeding soldier to struggle away.

Taking in their surroundings Shepard notes that the walls around them were covered in graffiti, "I know that symbol" she hears Aria mutter to herself. The red haired human turns to regard her, "Looks like a gang tag". "Yes, the Talons, they used to deface my property too" Aria looks almost proud when she mentions this, "It could be evidence of a resistance" Shepard nods in agreement, "Might be useful."

Coming to a small broken bridge they drop down to the path below, "One of my soldiers by the force field". Looking over to where Aria was pointing she sees a lone Vorcha stood close to the red wall, staring intently as if mesmerized. "What the hell is he doing?" starting toward him Aria is stopped in her tracks by Shepard's forceful grip on her arm. A mech suddenly appears from above, startling the Vorcha causing him to fire blindly in their direction. Shepard quickly puts herself in front of Aria before throwing them both down into cover, only to be shot deeply in the shoulder. They watch as the mech stabs Aria's soldier, pushing him into the force field where he immediately disintegrates.

Aria, oblivious to what had just occurred, begins firing rapidly at the Rampart Mechs as more and more appear through the red glow. "Stand still you piece of shit!" she yells as the mechs continue to dodge her bullets, "These bastards are fast." Shepard can't help but chuckle through her pain, kneeling up to peer over their cover she sends carnage shot after carnage shot into a nearby mechs chest, successfully tearing it to shreds. "There, you just need a bit more fire power Aria" she grins, even though her face has begun to pale due to loss of blood. She would be fine once she could get the bullet out and apply medigel, no need to distract Aria now. Soon the mechs are nothing more than scrap metal and Aria strides with purpose towards the force field. Looking down at the charred remains of her soldier Aria shakes her head, "poor idiot. Something tells me these force fields are going to be a problem" Turning to regard Shepard as she joins her next to the ashes, she sees the pale hue to her skin, and looks down to see a small pool of blood at her feet. "Shepard!" quickly stepping closer to the woman, she darts her eyes across her form scanning for any damage. "I'm fine Aria" she replies giving her a crooked grin, "just got shot in the damn shoulder, covering your pretty ass." Aria rolled her eyes at the woman, her voice angry; "This is not how a partnership works Shepard, if you are hurt you tell me, I don't want to turn around only to find you passed out from loss of blood." Shepard's smile widens, "I didn't think you cared so much, Aria". Aria doesn't reply, just grabs her hand and turns on her heel, dragging her away from the red force field. "What are you doing?" The woman she was pulling along was fidgeting. _Why do I care so much? It's just a superficial wound. Damn it!_ "I'm letting you in on a secret, Shepard, can you make it down the ladder or do I have to carry you?"

Once at the bottom of the ladder Aria makes Shepard sit on one of the nearby crates. "You're going to have to take off some of that armor Shepard, I can't see through metal." Shepard began to blush, "There isn't any need for this now Aria, it can wait until we get somewhere more secure." Aria grinned at the Commanders sudden reluctance "We are safe here Shepard, only one other person alive knows about these tunnels." The stubborn red head just shook her head and crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll do it myself." Shepard's eyes widened at her words as she sat there, mouth gaping whilst Aria's skilful finger deftly unclasped her various pieces of armor. Soon her top half was released from the heavy plating and Aria was staring at her expectantly. Sighing dramatically, the Asari dipped her fingers beneath her under-shirt and slowly pulled upwards. Shepard inhaled sharply at the feel of the other woman's fingertips touching her skin and her blush deepened. Next thing she knew, cold air replaced the warmth of her shirt, and Aria had a smug grin on her face. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it Shepard?" The Commander's blush was captivating to her, she watched as it spread across face, and down her neck. From there her gaze wondered down the slender throat, past her collar bone; to the crease between her breasts. Returning to meet Shepard's gawking expression her grin widened. Pulled out of her haze at the sight of the wound on her shoulder, still bleeding profusely; her attention shifts. Using a concentrated strain of biotics, Aria pulls the bullet cleanly from hole. Glancing back to take in Shepard's expression, she is impressed when the woman barely flinches. Quickly applying medigel, the bleeding immediately stops, the hole already starting to close over. "you're going to have to wait a bit longer before we can get that blood off of you Shepard; but for now I think you'll live" winking at the other woman she returns her gaze downwards, this time taking in the woman's toned stomach.

Shepard, finally recovering from the shock of being half undressed by the woman she is having increasingly intensified feelings for, and then having a bullet pulled from her shoulder; slowly manages to find her voice. "Did you really have to take me out of my shirt, or was that just for your benefit?" She smirks, but instead of looking guilty, the Asari meets her stare and takes a step forward until she is standing comfortably between Shepard's thighs. "What do you think, _Commander_?" Her resolve waning, she slowly begins to lean in toward Aria, her eyes flicking slowly from the bright blue eyes to the dark purple strip on the lip in front of her.

A sudden noise makes the pair stop, inches away from each other, both aware of another presence in the tunnel. Aria steps away from the warmth of Shepard, shotgun raised as the other woman quickly replaces her shirt and reaching for her pistol. From deep with the shadows a hooded figure appears saying "Spirits, look who it is, Aria T'Loak." Once reaching the light, the stranger's head raises revealing her face to them. Aria stops, lowering her gun only slightly, "Nyreen, what the hell are you doing here?"


End file.
